1971 in television

See also: 1970 in television, other events of 1971, 1972 in television and the list of 'years in television'.

For the American network television schedule, please see 1971-72 American network television schedule.

Events

File:Greenacres.jpg

Green Acres, along with other "rural" CBS comedies, were canceled en masse in the spring of 1971.

• January 3 - BBC Open University broadcasts begin in the UK.
• January 27 - Valerie Barlow is electrocuted by a faulty hairdryer, and then perishes in a house fire on Coronation Street.
• May - CBS debuts its schedule for the fall 1971 season, and cancels, in the words of Max Baer, Jr., "every show that had a tree in it." Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbillies, Mayberry R.F.D., and Hee Haw all end production. The latter show continued on for two decades in syndication.
• June 6 - The Ed Sullivan Show goes off the air.
• November - Top-rated As the World Turns loses the #1 slot in the daytime Nielsens for the first time since 1959.
• The Selling of the Pentagon documentary airs on CBS.
• Michael Zaslow first appears as Roger Thorpe on The Guiding Light.

Debuts

• January 10 - Masterpiece Theatre debuts on PBS (1971-present).
• January 12 - All in the Family premieres (1971-1979).
• September 21 - The Old Grey Whistle Test premiered on BBC2 (1971-1987).
• October 2 - Soul Train, the African-American equivalent to American Bandstand, premieres (1971-present).
• October 27 - [[The Electric Company, a skit-based children's program aimed at teaching reading skills, premieres on PBS (1971-1977).
• The New Dick Van Dyke Show premieres (1971-1974).
• The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour premieres (1971-1974).
• NBC Mystery Movie premieres (1971-1977) as a wheel show featuring:
  • McCloud (premiered in 1970);
  • McMillan and Wife (1971-1977);
  • Columbo (1971-1978).

Television shows

1940s

• Meet the Press (1947-present).
• Candid Camera (1948-present).
• Bozo the Clown (1949-present).
• Come Dancing (UK) (1949-1995).

1950s

• Truth or Consequences (1950-1988).
• Love of Life (1951-1980).
• Search for Tomorrow (1951-1986).
• Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951-present).
• American Bandstand (1952-1989).
• The Guiding Light (1952-present).
• The Today Show (1952-present).
• Panorama (UK) (1953-present).
• The Good Old Days (UK) (1953-1983).
• Face the Nation (1954-present).
• The Secret Storm (1954-1974).
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962-1992).
• Captain Kangaroo (1955-1984).
• Dixon of Dock Green (UK) (1955-1976).
• Gunsmoke (1955-1975).
• The Lawrence Welk Show (1955-1982).
• This Is Your Life (UK) (1955-2003).
• As the World Turns (1956-present).
• Opportunity Knocks (UK) (1956-1978).
• The Edge of Night (1956-1984).
• What the Papers Say (UK) (1956-present).
• The Sky at Night (UK) (1957-present).
• Blue Peter (UK) (1958-present).
• Grandstand (UK) (1958-present).
• Bonanza (1959-1973).

1960s

• Coronation Street (UK) (1960-present).
• My Three Sons (1960-1972).
• Four Corners (Australia) (1961-present).
• It's Academic (1961-present).
• The Mike Douglas Show (1961-1981).
• The Late Late Show (Ireland) (1962-present).
• Z-Cars (UK) (1962-1978).
• Doctor Who (UK) (1963-1989, 1996, 2005-present).
• General Hospital (1963-present).
• The Doctors (1963-1982).
• Another World (1964-1999).
• Bewitched (1964-1972).
• Crossroads (UK) (1964-1988, 2001-2003).
• Jeopardy! (1964-1975, 1984-present).
• Top of the Pops (UK) (1964-present).
• Days of Our Lives (1965-present).
• The Dean Martin Show (1965-1974).
• Tom and Jerry (1965-1972, 1975-1977, 1980-1982)
• World of Sport (UK) (1965-1985).
• Play School (1966-present).
• The Money Programme (UK) (1966-present).
• The Newlywed Game (1966-1974).
• Ironside (1967-1975).
• Love Is a Many Splendored Thing (1967-1973).
• Mannix (1967-1975).
• The Carol Burnett Show (1967-1978).
• 60 Minutes (1968-present).
• Dad's Army (UK) (1968-1977).
• Hawaii Five-O (1968-1980).
• Here's Lucy (1968-1974).
• Laugh-In (1968-1973).
• Magpie (UK) (1968-1980).
• One Life to Live (1968-present).
• The Doris Day Show (1968-1973).
• The Mod Squad (1968-1973).
• Bright Promise (1969-1972).
• Hee Haw (1969-1993).
• Love, American Style (1969-1974).
• Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969-1973).
• Monty Python's Flying Circus (UK) (1969-1974).
• Room 222 (1969-1974).
• Sesame Street (1969-present).
• The Benny Hill Show (1969-1989).
• The Brady Bunch (1969-1974).
• The Clangers (UK) (1969-1972).
• The Wonderful World of Disney (1969-1979).
• Where the Heart Is (1969-1973).

1970s

• All My Children (1970-present).
• Doomwatch (UK) (1970-1972).
• Mary Tyler Moore (1970-1977).
• McCloud (1970-1977).
• Monday Night Football (1970-present).
• Play for Today (UK) (1970-1984).
• The Flip Wilson Show (1970-1974).
• The Odd Couple (1970-1975).
• The Partridge Family (1970-1974).

Ending this year

• The Ed Sullivan Show (1948-1971).
• The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1971).
• Green Acres (1965-1971).
• Hogan's Heroes (1965-1971).
• Dark Shadows (1966-1971).
• Family Affair (1966-1971).
• That Girl (1966-1971).
• Julia (1968-1971).
• Mayberry R.F.D. (1968-1971).
• The Johnny Cash Show (1969-1971).
• Josie and the Pussycats (1970-1971).
• UFO (UK) (1970-1971).

Changes of network affiliation

• The Lawrence Welk Show moves from ABC to first-run syndication.
• Hee Haw, from CBS to first-run syndication.

Births

• January 1 - Suzanne Virdee, British regional TV newscaster.
• January 2 - Tess Daly, British television presenter.
• January 5 - Jayne Middlemiss, British television presenter.
• January 6 - Charlie Neil, British regional TV weather reader.
• February 16 - Amanda Holden.
• February 23 - Melinda Messenger, British television presenter and model.
• March 9 - Emmanuel Lewis.
• March 23 - Gail Porter, television presenter.
• July 9 - Dani Behr, television presenter and actress.
• July 17 - Peta Brady, actress.
• July 25 - Jessie Wallace, British actress.
• August 7 - Melanie Sykes, British television presenter.
• September 8 - Brooke Burke.
• September 9 - Natasha Kaplinsky, British television presenter.
• September 13 - Louise Lombard, British actress.
• September 28 - Liza Walker, British actress.
• October 19 - Kacey Ainsworth, British actress.
• November 25 - Christina Applegate.
• December 5 - Justine Kerrigan, British actress.

Deaths

• March 11 - Philo Farnsworth, television pioneer
• March 15 - Bebe Daniels.
• December 30 - Melba Rae, soap opera actress (Search for Tomorrow).